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1 1 (September 2017)

handle is hein.amenin/aeiaaav0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Key Points * The 2010 Strategic Concept is NATO's authoritative strategic document, describing the goals, challenges, and means for the alliance to meet its security requirements. * Given the changed security landscape-especially Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014-there is increasing pressure within the alliance to update the Strategic Concept. * Because of current tensions within the alliance, now might not be the ideal time to have a debate about fundamental strategy. Still, it would be better for NATO to address its internal conflicts head-on and begin developing a new Strategic Concept rather than have its fear of a lack of consensus on display in an outdated one. In its Strategic Concept, NATO defines its purpose, identifies key threats to alliance security, and explains how-with a particular view to its armed forces- it seeks to deal with those goals and threats.1 The Concept is thus, besides the North Atlantic Treaty itself, the alliance's most important strategic document. It must be agreed on by all member states and communicate NATO's political and military priorities both inside and outside the alliance. Today, the calls for modemizing the 2oio Strategic Concept have gained traction. But those calls are met with concerns over whether this is the opportune time for a debate about fundamental strategy. This paper provides an overview of each side's arguments and explains why the alliance should start developing a new Strategic Concept now. Arguments in Favor of a New Strategic Concept By reflecting changes in NATO's geostrategic and internal situation, the Strategic Concept helps keep the alliance current. In 1991, for instance, the first Strategic Concept after the Cold War described NATO's role in a new world order. This was the first time NATO made its Strategic Concept public- a practice that was kept from then on. At NATO's Soth birthday in 1999, a new Strategic Concept reflected the consequences of the Balkan wars and the addition of Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic-former Warsaw Pact members-to the alliance. The current 2OO Strategic Concept reflects the experiences of 9/11 and the fight against Islamist terrorism, in particular the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force mission in Afghanistan. There is no predetermined timeline in which NATO must agree on a new Strategic Concept; neither must it regularly reaffirm the current one. The tradition of updating the Concept every 1o years or so has proved useful, though, and there are four main reasons why the changed security situation since 2010 indicates that revising the Concept is needed. First is Russia's changed role. In the 2oio Strategic Concept, NATO aims for a true strategic partnership with Russia. Counterterrorism, disarmament, and AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE

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